The interconnectedness and causes of female suicidal ideation with domestic violence
Marika Guggisberg
University of Western Australia, Perth WA
PP: 053 - 059
Abstract
Although there is a significant body of knowledge about suicide, in particular male suicide, very limited empirical data exist about female suicidal ideation. This theoretical analysis considers the extent to which domestic violence may constitute an underlying cause of female suicidality by examining published literature mainly from Australia. It explores major effects of domestic violence, investigates the prevalence of suicide in women, and then considers the relationships between domestic violence, mental disorders in women, victim-blaming attitudes and female suicidality.
The paper suggests that a traditional victim-blaming attitude towards abused women is considerably interrelated with female suicide. It is recommended that female suicidal ideation, which may be caused by domestic violence, needs to be recognised as an important women's and public health issue.
Keywords
women, suicide, suicidal ideation, domestic violence, depression
Article Text
It has been widely recognised that death is the most extreme outcome of domestic violence. In fact, domestic violence is the 'leading contributor to death, disability and illness in Victorian women aged 15-44 years' (Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 2004). Domestic violence, which affects the lives of millions of women, children and men worldwide (Mishra, 2000) in all socio-economic and educational classes, can result in suicide (Astbury, Atkinson, Duke et al., 2000; Hirigoyen, 2000; Jones, 2000; Taft, 2003). Women who have been abused by their intimate partners are almost four times more likely to have suicidal ideation compared to non-abused women (Taft, 2003). Women are criminal offenders too. Although women's crimes are most often trivial and much less often violent compared to men's (Pickering & Adler, 2000), very often no clear distinction can be made between victimisation and offending. 'Women who are offenders are also victims of crime, particularly violent crimes' (Pickering & Adler, 2000: 28). According to Walker (1989), many women who killed their abusers initially intended to commit suicide themselves.
In Australia, despite the fact that community awareness of domestic violence has risen significantly over recent decades; that women's refuges have been built; that legislative changes have been made; and that the serious nature of intimate partner violence has been underlined by making it a social and criminal issue (Adler, 1995), suicide rates and homicide rates have remained relatively constant (Mouzos & Segrave, 2004).
The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics and circumstances of female suicide in order to determine how female suicidal ideation may be correlated with domestic violence. It describes some of the major effects of domestic violence not only for abused women, but also for children who are either victimised directly or exposed to the violence. It then investigates the prevalence of female suicide and the risk factors for suicide in general, identifies the interrelationship between suicide and mental disorders in women and, discusses the role that domestic violence was historically thought to play.
The paper also reviews the problematic history of victim-blaming attitudes and their consequences in relation to domestic violence. It also identifies the strong links between victim-blaming and sexual abuse, where women were - and still are - held responsible. Further, it reveals the complex inter-relationship between domestic violence and family homicide.
This paper concludes that female suicide and domestic violence are heavily interrelated. It further suggests that traditional attitudes towards women may prevent professionals adequately responding to victims.
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